scholarly journals The antioxidative potential of sea grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera, Chlorophyta) can be triggered by light to reach comparable values of pomegranate and other highly nutritious fruits

Author(s):  
Jonas Sommer ◽  
Andreas Kunzmann ◽  
Lara E. Stuthmann ◽  
Karin Springer

AbstractThe interest in edible sea grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera) is increasing due to their potentially beneficial effect on human health. This macroalga, already used for direct and indirect human consumption, is grown in aquacultures in Vietnam and The Philippines. Here, the edible fronds of sea grapes were examined for their antioxidant activity (AOA) at light intensities from 140 to 300 µmol photons m−2 s−1 and compared to commercially dehydrated C. lentillifera and the renowned highly antioxidative fruits Pomegranates (Punica granatum), Goji (Lycium barbarum and L. chinense) and Aronia (Aronia melanocarpa) berries, using an ABTS+-assay for all samples. AOA of fronds exposed to 300 µmol photons m−2 s−1 for 14 days increased by about 320% from the initial value of 72.2 ± 5.6 to 232.2 ± 34.2 Trolox Equivalents (TE) mmol 100 g−1 dry weight (DW) onto the level of Pomegranates (272.8 ± 23.0 TE mmol 100 g−1 DW). This application could be used as a post-cultivation treatment in sea grape cultures to increase the quality and nutritional value of the product.

2019 ◽  
pp. 7-14
Author(s):  
Hai Trieu Ly ◽  
Tuan Anh Vo ◽  
Viet Hong Phong Nguyen ◽  
Thi My Sa Pham ◽  
Bich Thao Lam ◽  
...  

Background: The natural antioxidants have an important role in the prevention of many diseases. The aim of study is to investigate phytochemical components, antioxidant activity and acute oral toxicity of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit peel (PFP) extract. Materials and methods: Phytochemicals of PFP were determined by qualitative chemical tests, thin layer chromatography, total polyphenol and flavonoid contents. The PFP extract was evaluated for antioxidant activity by DPPH assay and MDA assay. In vivo acute oral toxicity test was conducted using Karber-Behrens method to determine LD50. Results: Results illustrated that PFP mainly contains flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, triterpenes, saponins, and coumarins. PFP extract exhibited the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents with 189.97 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight and 9.42 mg quercetin equivalent/g dry weight, respectively. The DPPH free radical scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activities of PFP extract were expressed with IC50 value of 4.80 μg/mL and 0.38 μg/ mL, sequentially. Simultaneously, the Dmax (the maximum dose administered to mice that no toxicity was observed) of PFP extract was determined to be 21.28 g/kg, equivalent to 35.64 g dried herb. Conclusion: The PFP extract is relatively safe and revealed high antioxidant activity. Key words: Punica granatum L.; polyphenols; flavonoids; gallic acid; quercetin; antioxidant activity; acute oral toxicity


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.P.T. Quoc

AbstractThe main purpose of this study was to determine the chemical composition of monofloral bee-collected pollen from the coffee (Coffea robusta) plant and its pellet morphology. According to the results coffee bee pollen (CBP) has a high nutritional value. It contains a large percentage of protein, reducing sugar, and lipid. Also, vitamins (B2 and E) and minerals (K, Ca, and P) were found in CBP. In addition, the results revealed that the total polyphenols content (TPC) was 10.62 mg GAE/g dry weight (DW) and antioxidant activity (AA) of CBP was 5.52 μmol TE/g DW. Some physical properties of CBP pellet were recorded such as moisture, relative diameter, sphericity, bulk density, and colour parameters. The pollen pellet exhibits shapes of colour from light to dark yellow. These results pointed out that CBP can be used as a remarkable source of compounds with antioxidant activity and health-protective capacity for humans.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (15) ◽  
pp. 3528
Author(s):  
Montserrat Alcázar-Valle ◽  
Eugenia Lugo-Cervantes ◽  
Luis Mojica ◽  
Norma Morales-Hernández ◽  
Heidy Reyes-Ramírez ◽  
...  

Beans (Phaseolus spp.) are one of the most important legumes for their nutritional value and health benefits in many world regions. In addition to Phaseolus vulgaris, there are four additional species that are cultivated in many regions of the world and are a source of food for human consumption: P. lunatus, P. coccineus, P. polyanthus, and P. acutifolius. In this work, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and anti-nutritional compounds of 18 bean accessions, corresponding to four different species of the genus Phaseolus, were analyzed. In addition, their physical characteristics, proximate composition, and amino acid content were determined in order to compare their phytochemical composition and nutritional value. The species closest to each other in terms of essential amino acid content were P. polyanthus with P. vulgaris and P. lunatus with P. coccineus. Furthermore, there was a strong positive correlation between antioxidant activity and flavonoids, anthocyanins, and lectins with all the accessions collected. Significant differences in the content of phenolic compounds were found among the bean species studied. Therefore, in addition to P. vulgaris, other species such as P. coccineus and P. lunatus have high biological and antioxidant potential that could be beneficial to human health when consumed as nutraceutical foods.


Author(s):  
Gabriela Silvina Razzeto ◽  
María Angelina Uñates ◽  
José Elías Rojas Moreno ◽  
Romina Viviana Lucero López ◽  
Elba Graciela Aguilar ◽  
...  

Aims: Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is an ancient crop known for its high nutritive potential. The goal of the present work is to study the nutritional composition, identify some antinutritional factors and antioxidant compounds, and evaluate their antioxidant activity in four advanced lines of quinoa seeds obtained in experimental plots. Methodology: For this purpose, proteins, total lipids, fiber, moisture, ash and carbohydrates, as well as fatty acid composition and mineral content, were determined in whole meal flours of these advanced lines. The presence of trypsin inhibitors, saponins, nitrates, oxalates and phytate was also evaluated, as well as total phenols and antioxidant activity. Results: These new quinoa varieties have good nutritional properties, with high protein content in comparison to cereals. In this work, the analysis of proximate and mineral profile of quinoa showed that this pseudocereal has a similar profile but significantly higher than rice, a traditional cereal. Quinoa is a rich source of magnesium, iron, manganese, copper and molybdenum, which are elements that are deficient in almost all gluten-free cereals. The tests performed on the evaluated antinutrient compounds resulted within the acceptable values for human consumption. The seed extract showed a total phenol content between 43.42 ± 1.35 and 25.82 ± 1.47 mg of gallic acid equivalent/100 g dry weight (P= .05). The antioxidant activities were estimated by DPPH, β carotene and nitric oxide scavenging activity. The results of the methanolic extract were, in average, 88.95 for %DPPH, 26.56 for %β carotene, and varied between 85.82 ± 8.32 to 22.20 ± 1.80 for %NO (P= .05). Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that the new quinoa lines obtained in the central-west region of Argentina, which present agronomic advantages, are safe for human consumption and beneficial due to the content of nutrients and bioactive compounds that exert protection against many diseases.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Ayieko ◽  
H.J. Ogola ◽  
I.A. Ayieko

Edible insects, particularly crickets, are becoming popular due to their nutritional value and efficiency in foodconversion. An increasing number of farmers in Kenya are seeking information on rearing crickets (Orthoptera:Gryllidae) for food and feed. The locals are gradually embracing Acheta domesticus and Gryllus bimiculatus as the species of choice. This paper discusses how cricket farming was introduced to farmers in Bondo and Kabondo in Kenya. The initial crickets were picked from their natural habitat and carefully selected for domestication. Theselected crickets were fed on vegetables and chicken mash and bulked in plastic cages. The insects were carefully nurtured to lay eggs and a large colony was formed for multiplication purposes. Upon maturity, proximate analysiswas done to determine their nutritional value. Some were processed into different dishes for human consumption. Products were subjected to microbial tests at the Kenya Bureau of Standards to verify safety for human consumption. Consumers were invited to taste the processed products. After 3 years into the project, about 50 farmers haveembraced cricket farming around the Lake Victoria region. A. domesticus proved easy for rearing at household levelconditions. Food nutrients identified on dry weight were: 47% protein, 10% carbohydrates, and 25% fat. Minerals included sodium (8,502 µg/g), copper (29.4 µg/g), calcium (3,147.7 µg/g), potassium (9,797.5 µg/g), iron (51.8 µg/g), phosphorus (331.3 µg/g), manganese (58.7 µg/g) and zinc (21.8 µg/g). Vitamins included vitamin A (retinol; 0.35 µg/g), vitamin B2 (riboflavin; 6.3 µg/g), vitamin B1 (thiamine; 15.2 µg/g), and vitamin E (331 µg/g). Children were particularly attracted to biscuits and the fried foods such as fritters, samosa and pancakes. Cricket farming can be embraced as a mini-livestock by farmers in varied agro-ecological conditions in the lake region in Kenya. However, increased consumption of crickets to ensure food security is yet to be observed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-100
Author(s):  
Ma. Desiree Belina-Aldemita ◽  
Vera Fraberger ◽  
Matthias Schreiner ◽  
Konrad J. Domig ◽  
Stefano D’Amico

SummaryPhilippines stingless bee (Tetragonula biroi Friese) pot-pollen are known for their advantageous effects on human health due to a high nutritional value and a broad range of beneficial physiological and pharmacological effects. However, safety aspects regarding this product were rarely examined. Therefore, pollen samples from the Philippines were analyzed for inorganic contaminants and microbiological quality. Obtained values for heavy metals (e.g., arsenic 0.015–0.032 mg/kg, cadmium 0.053–0.153 mg/kg and lead 0.017–0.155 mg/kg) were generally lower compared to previous studies and most were within the safety limits. Further, microbial counts for total aerobic microorganisms, yeasts and molds, Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus were in accordance with the recommended values. Microbial population was diverse and the identified species were mostly endosporeformers such as Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp., and molds because of the low water activity and low pH of the pot-pollens. Results indicated that good practices in agriculture, hygiene and manufacturing in every step of the production chain must be implemented in order to enhance the quality and safety of this bee product. Overall, pot-pollens from T. biroi are safe for human consumption if hygienic principles are applied.


Author(s):  
Lara Elisabeth Stuthmann ◽  
Karin Springer ◽  
Andreas Kunzmann

AbstractThe green macroalga Caulerpa lentillifera (sea grapes, green caviar) is a promising source for future nutrition due to its beneficial composition for human consumption. It is cultured in tidal ponds, mainly in Vietnam and the Philippines, and stored for shipment and retail in plastic containers, like polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), exhibiting different properties. This study investigates the influence of irradiances on the physiology of sea grapes under culture and packaging ambience in PET using pulse-amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry. Fv/Fm values of C. lentillifera significantly decreased < 0.54 ± 0.06 standard deviation (SD) after 7 days of culture under 100 μmol photons m−2 s−1, but with the potential of recovery. In packaging ambience in the state of desiccation, sea grapes exposed to room irradiances (3 μmol photons m−2 s−1) for 12 days were still physiologically in a good condition (Fv/Fm = 0.70 ± 0.06). However, 12 days under irradiances of 70 μmol photons m−2 s−1 leads to decreased Fv/Fm (0.42 ± 0.11) and a moisture content of 88.2 ± 3.3% of initial. After re-immersion in sea water under room irradiances, Fv/Fm values recovered to a certain degree. In darkness, desiccation was followed by a decrease of Fv/Fm to 0.09 ± 0.19 and moisture content of 49.3 ± 20.2% of initial with no recovery after re-immersion under room irradiances. Results suggest shading of C. lentillifera in pond culture and PET containers as suitable packaging for sea grapes, but a dim light source should be provided during storage.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 68-83
Author(s):  
David Gluhić

Over the last decade, in Croatia are growing a lot of new plantations of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa). While it was a plant species that was mostly planted on the home grounds, today is more intensive cultivation plants and have been growing more than 200 family farms in Croatia now. Although there is no official data on the total area of chokeberry in Croatia, according to the data from the other source, it can be said that the production is about 100 ha total. Due to good adaptability to different agro-ecological conditions, most of the new and intensive plantations in Croatia are certified for ecological/organic production. Namely, due to their nutritional value, high content of polyphenols and strong antioxidant activity, fruits and their products (juice, syrup, tea, jam, etc.) are highly demand products on the market of healthy and ecological foods. Therefore, knowledge of ecological fertilization technology is very important in the production of this fruit


Planta Medica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Vora ◽  
V Londhe ◽  
N Pandita

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